For weeks the Knicks insisted on referring to Rasheed Wallace’s injury as a stress reaction, rather than a stress fracture. Now it’s “progressed” into a something more, according to a team release, and he’ll have surgery this week and miss the next eight weeks.

Not only does that put his regular season in jeopardy, but Wallace could miss the playoffs as well and that could end his brief attempt at a comeback.

“We started to rehab him back and so it's somewhat a blow because he's gone through so much work to try and get back on the floor and then this happens," coach Mike Woodson said, as quoted by Newsday’s Al Iannazzone. "The one thing we can do now is think positive in terms of how the surgery is going to turn out and he's got to rehab back.”

There had been reports that Wallace’s foot injury would ultimately cost him his season, but Woodson maintained his belief that the veteran big man would practice after the All-Star break. Obviously that never happened.

According to a source, the Knicks were aware of the new X-rays last week, showing Wallace’s stress reaction had turned into a stress fracture after he returned to practice following the All-Star break.

The delay in the announcement was to decide whether Wallace would have surgery that would get him back for the playoffs or if he would call it a career. He has chosen surgery, and the Knicks have decided not to waive him and sign another player to fill his roster spot.

The Knicks won 11 games in November, and Wallace played in 14 of their 15 games that month. After his last game, the Knicks were 17-5 and in first place in the Eastern Conference. Wallace averaged 7.2 points and 4.2 rebounds in 20 games.

Wallace’s replacement, Kenyon Martin, made his debut with the Knicks in Wednesday’s win over the Warriors, but did little to distinguish himself in just under five minutes of action.

“I'm just going to be me," Martin said, as quoted by Iannazzone. "If what I do merits for me to be here the rest of the year, then I will be. And if not, then I won't. But I think the way my game is and the way I play, I'll let my play speak for itself.”